250W assist enough for mountain touring?

[jmsteven]

At my home in British Columbia, Canada, the max allowable for an ebike drive is 500W. So that's what almost everyone has. I am planning a long tour in the UK, Ireland and EU, beginning at the end of April.
I would bring an ebike with me, but I can't find a 250W drive here to install on my recumbent for the tour. So, I am looking at either buying a recumbent ebike in the UK, or bringing my recumbent with me to England, and having a Bafang 250W mid-drive installed there.
But, as I am accustomed to 500W for touring, I am interested to know how folks in the UK and EU get along touring in hilly and mountainous country with a 250W drive.
Thank you.

 

[anotherkiwi]

How much do you and your fully loaded bike weigh? How is your bike geared? You may need a double chainwheel or a wide range cassette.

The other solution is to leave your motor on and ride as is. If you are uncomfortable with the legal implications print a 250W sticker for it. Places where the police don't have a lot to do and may be nosy are the ones where there is an s-pedelec class anyway (Germany, Austria, Switzerland).

 

[jmsteven]

How much do you and your fully loaded bike weigh? How is your bike geared? You may need a double chainwheel or a wide range cassette.

The other solution is to leave your motor on and ride as is. If you are uncomfortable with the legal implications print a 250W sticker for it. Places where the police don't have a lot to do and may be nosy are the ones where there is an s-pedelec class anyway (Germany, Austria, Switzerland).

———————————
Thanks for your reply and for your suggestions.
What I am most interested in is riders’ experience - to know how folks in the UK and EU get along touring in hilly and mountainous country with a 250W drive.
I plan to ride a Catrike 559 with a Rohloff Speedhub 14, and likely a Bafang 250W mid-drive. The total weight for trike, baggage and me likely will be about 120kg.
There is too much importance for me in this tour to risk having it all derailed by a breach of regulations.

 

[Fat Rat]

Hi welcome
Enjoy your tour

 

[vfr400]

Our power limit is not 250W. It's a motor rated at 250W, which is a different thing. In practice, there is no power limit. We have 250W motors that output around 600W, which is more than enough for most circumstances. Our 250W motors probably put out more useable power and torque than many of your 500w ones.

 

[jmsteven]

Our power limit is not 250W. It's a motor rated at 250W, which is a different thing. In practice, there is no power limit. We have 250W motors that output around 600W, which is more than enough for most circumstances. Our 250W motors probably put out more useable power and torque than many of your 500w ones.

Thank you.

 

[anotherkiwi]

———————————
Thanks for your reply and for your suggestions.
What I am most interested in is riders’ experience - to know how folks in the UK and EU get along touring in hilly and mountainous country with a 250W drive.
I plan to ride a Catrike 559 with a Rohloff Speedhub 14, and likely a Bafang 250W mid-drive. The total weight for trike, baggage and me likely will be about 120kg.
There is too much importance for me in this tour to risk having it all derailed by a breach of regulations.

OK that is the information I needed.

I ride a 250 W GSM (Bafang clone) in the Basque Country (>13% gradients not uncommon, I can see a >15% from where I type). At the moment it is on an upright and I have ridden with that all up weight on +60km rides with no issues. I have 42-32 on the front and 11-32 on the cassette. You have the right gear ratios, you will be fine.

My motor will be migrating to my AZUB T-Tris 26 later in the year and I will be using it for long range rides when I "retire" after one last season of work.

 

[jmsteven]

OK that is the information I needed.

I ride a 250 W GSM (Bafang clone) in the Basque Country (>13% gradients not uncommon, I can see a >15% from where I type). At the moment it is on an upright and I have ridden with that all up weight on +60km rides with no issues. I have 42-32 on the front and 11-32 on the cassette. You have the right gear ratios, you will be fine.

My motor will be migrating to my AZUB T-Tris 26 later in the year and I will be using it for long range rides when I "retire" after one last season of work.

Thanks, again. Your reply is particularly helpful as an important part of my tour will be in visiting archaeological sites and museums in what archaeologists refer to as the Franco-Cantabrian region (SW France and Northern Spain), with extensive evidence for early human habitation. So, your information is helpful, that a 250W system is adequate for travel in that region.

 

[anotherkiwi]

Thanks, again. Your reply is particularly helpful as an important part of my tour will be in visiting archaeological sites and museums in what archaeologists refer to as the Franco-Cantabrian region (SW France and Northern Spain), with extensive evidence for early human habitation. So, your information is helpful, that a 250W system is adequate for travel in that region.

I insist: with the correct gearing. With a Rohloff you will be fine. The French side is quite easy but things can get a little weird on the Spanish side especially off the beaten track. I have stalled the motor once but that was with the original 46T chainwheel and an 11-32 cassette, the slope was >20% according to my LBS guy.

The advantage of the trike is that you can put it in bottom gear and turn up the assistance - you won't be going fast but you won't fall off because you are going too slow. Tyre choice becomes an issue with that much torque and +20% gradients.

 

[anotherkiwi]

Just got back from the garden center with 40 kg of stuff in the trailer. At the moment the GSM is running in 36v mode (38.6v charge when I left home) so it is pertinent to your question.

The last short hill is over 15%, I climbed at 10 kph in 32:34 and assistance level 5 drawing about 400 W peak. I did have to lean over the bars to keep the front wheel on the ground. All up weight in the order of 150 kg. Most of the ride back was in assistance level 3 at a steady 140 W, I wasn't going very fast because a 40 kg trailer can be a bit of a hand full to stop...

The motor did cut out quite a bit because of back EMF because I was spinning quite fast - that is something you will have to keep in consideration on your trike.